The challenges faced by religious minorities in Iraq are intensifying despite the defeat of Islamic State (ISIS) in 2017, according to a Parliamentary report.
It is the result of a fact-finding delegation to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in February.
During the visit by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG FoRB), organised by the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), delegates met with Christian and other minority communities who suffered genocidal violence by ISIS militants.
The delegation met Yazidi and Christian leaders, receiving detailed briefings on militia activity, insecurity, and slow reconstruction.
Yazidi representatives emphasised the plight of approximately 350,000 displaced Yazidis, the presence of 96 mass graves, more than 2,500 missing persons, and the ongoing need for justice and accountability for ISIS crimes.
The majority of Iraq’s remaining Christian population now resides in the Kurdistan region. Christian leaders expressed appreciation for the security and cooperation extended by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) while highlighting serious social and economic pressures—particularly youth unemployment—which continue to drive migration.
The group also found that challenges have intensified as a result of the current Middle East war.
They have urged stronger UK and Iraqi government action, enhanced international cooperation, and sustained support for minority communities across the KRI and federal Iraq.
In his foreword to the report, Chair of the APPG FoRB, Jim Shannon MP acknowledged that positive steps were being taken by the regional government in Kurdistan. He said he remained “deeply committed to the conviction that no one should ever face violence, imprisonment, or discrimination for their faith—or indeed for choosing not to follow any faith at all.”
“The report reflects our continued commitment to highlighting not only state-sponsored persecution but also the everyday barriers and threats that can restrict freedom of belief," he added.
“Together, we must continue to champion freedom of religion or belief, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their faith or conviction, can live without fear or oppression.”